July 29, 2016 AT 2:00 am

When version 2 of the Raspberry Pi camera was launched there was much celebration of the higher resolution and improved image quality, and with good reason. The new unit provides superior performance whilst remaining compatible with all Pi models with a camera connector. More information can be found over at the official Raspberry Pi website.

This new camera module is perfect for building an intelligent webcam that monitors use of the laser cutter in our workshop, allowing all members of staff to see what is happening within the machine. In this post we will build the camera into an acrylic housing and configure the software for video streaming and motion detection.

Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!

Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, or even use Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for MakeCode, CircuitPython, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.